The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Union Central Elementary School
Union Central Elementary School is a regular public school serving fourth and fifth graders in Columbia, the seat of Caldwell Parish in north-central Louisiana. It is one of the schools in the Caldwell Parish district and represents the upper elementary years for students in this rural area before they move on to middle school. Because it serves only two grade levels, the school does not have a graduation rate to report, and the data available focuses squarely on the state assessment results for those grades.
On the Louisiana LEAP 2025 tests, the school’s proficiency rates, which measure the share of students scoring at the proficient or advanced level, sit at a level that many families would see as modest. In math, about a quarter of students met that bar. In English language arts, the figure was slightly higher, with nearly three in ten students reaching proficiency. In social studies, the share was roughly the same as math. Science lagged further behind, with about one in five students scoring proficient. Test participation was universal, meaning the results represent the entire tested population. The data covers a single school year, so trends over time are not yet available, and a cut-score change in social studies means comparisons to prior years would not be straightforward. A parent considering this school would likely want to discuss with staff how the school supports students who are not yet at the proficient level and what academic interventions or enrichment are in place.
The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller share of Black students and very small numbers of Hispanic and multiracial students. A substantial share of the school’s families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with significant economic need. Information on the number of students receiving special education services or English learner support was not reported in the data available, so a parent seeking those specifics would need to contact the school directly.
Columbia sits on the southwest bank of the Ouachita River and developed historically as a riverboat town for shipping cotton. Its population has been declining for decades, and the town today is a modest civic and commercial center for the surrounding parish. The built environment is small-scale, with a museum, a riverwalk, and a few historic sites. Major employment comes from parish government and local businesses, and there is no indication of recent large-scale development or housing growth. Housing costs in the area are relatively low compared to state and national averages, consistent with a slow-growth rural market. The town covers a very small land area, so the school is geographically close to the town’s center and other community resources.
Because this is the only school in Caldwell Parish serving this particular grade span, there is no nearby comparative set within the parish to place its scores against. The district itself reported no recent curriculum changes, referenda, or other parent-relevant developments in public records, so the district context appears stable at this level of information. No data on discipline rates, course offerings beyond the standard curriculum, or staffing levels were available in the reviewed records.
Union Central Elementary offers a small, rural, two-grade learning environment in a town with a slow pace, deep local history, and a clear sense of place. Families whose priority is a close-knit, locally rooted elementary experience in a modest-cost housing market may find it a fit, though the academic proficiency levels suggest that active engagement with the school around student progress would be worthwhile.
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